Those who know me...

If you know me well, or even slightly...

 

You would know that I have a room in my house...

 

Most people call it their living room...

 

My kids refer to it as the 'keep out' room!

 

It's the 'company room' where we never go...

 

The room we use to open Christmas gifts.

 

That is, until Locklan!

 

This year, for Christmas he got a "tramporine" or as we call it, trampoline.

 

It's really for the back yard, but it's -5° out there and no matter how much you jump up and down, you'll freeze!

 

Grandma figured that if you aren't allowed to SIT in the living room,

you might as well jump in there!

 

Last night, Andy and Tony set it up.

 

Locklan spent the night with Grandma and Pappy...

 

Guess what he did first thing this morning and all day long?

 

 

 

All to the tune of Old McDonald's Farm because I got

Andy and Ashley an Alexa for Christmas and

Locklan knows how to use it!

 

Can you tell I'm we're having the time of my our  lives?

 

 

 

 

 

'Twas the day OF Christmas!

Twas the day of Christmas when all through the house...

Creatures were stirring, even my spouse!

What?  Mr K stirring?

Seriously, the thought is too funny...this is the man who thinks breathing should be considered an Olympic event!

I was reading when I heard this strange noise.

I ran to the windows facing the front of the house...

Looked out the window and this is what I saw...

 

Yes, THIS!

 

I was shocked.  Yes, he did buy this snow blower a few weeks ago

but I never thought he would USE it...

 

I ducked so he wouldn't know I was photographing him...

 

 

That's when I did 'something' to his bathroom window and it came crashing down...

 

I wasn't going to tell him I saw him...

but it's 25° out there...he's going to figure it out!

 

Hope your day was this much  fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

°

 

From our family to yours...

The Red Sock Family

sends much love and prayers

and a bit of Christmas joy

to you and yours

this holiday season!

 

As you can see, Shirley is waiting for Santa

to give the go-ahead for her to rip into those packages.

 

 

Our celebration started at noon yesterday and will continue today

(and probably all week).

 

Be back soon...

 

God bless you!

 

Happy Christmas Adam!

Just taking a second and jumping in here to wish you and yours a

 

Happy Christmas Adam!

 

Christmas Adam?

 

You never heard of Christmas Adam?

 

Everyone knows Adam came before Eve!

 

~groan~

 

On a brighter note, Ashley sent me this photo yesterday morning...

 

 

 

 

I know!  She's earned the nomination for Mom-of-the-Year award, right?

 

To tackle a ginger bread house with a two year old?

 

~sigh~

 

Considering I'm the mom who once bought all the ingredients for Christmas cookies and then proceeded to eat them right out of the pantry before baking, I was feeling pretty inadequate...

 

Five minutes later, I got a text message that said that right after this photo, she moved the house and it caved in...

I felt better.

 

So, let's get busy, all those last minute things we need to do...

I'll meet you back here tomorrow, all relaxed and stuff, feet up,

a cup of tea and a few cookies...

 

For now,

Stay safe, stay warm, and remember:

Jesus is the reason for the season!

 

 

We love you!

 

 I know...

 

It's been three weeks since the wedding!

 

I promise you and update but for the moment, I am soooo busy!

 

Just remember this...

 

We love you...

 

 

 And we'll be BACK in a flash...

 

 

Soon, I promise!

 

 

It's Starting to Look a Lot Like...

A baby!

 

I got this text from Ashley yesterday afternoon...

 

"It's Started!"

 

 

She thought she was the first to start baby-girl shopping!

 

I said, "Ha ha...I beat you to it!"

 

Yeppers...looks like we're getting ready to welcome a baby girl!

 

 

 

Not yet!

I know I promised wedding photos...

 

I'm still waiting for some to come in,

organizing the ones I do have...

 

So, an anniversary photo of a couple who celebrated their fourth anniversary

on the cruise will have to do...

 

 

Did you like that?

How about another one?

 

 

If you thought those were cute

check out this one...

 

 

I know...we're adorable.

 

Happy anniversary, Mr K!

I love you!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Monday was our first day home from the cruise...

 

Locklan and I decided to get Pappy K's Santa out of the basement

and move him to the front porch.

 

Pappy has had this Santa for nearly 50 years,

it's an important part of his Christmas celebration!

 

Locklan was thrilled to see Santa when I brought him up the stairs...

 

He stopped me in the kitchen so he could offer Santa a snack.

 

He stood Santa in front of the fridge...

 

 

And asked him what he'd like to have...

 

 

He finally decided that what Santa really wanted was a drink of water!

 

 

It's such fun to have a kid this age around for Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

I knew it all along!

Yesterday, Andy, Ashley and Locklan went for Ashley's 20 week ultra sound.  Afterwards, they dropped Locklan off so they could do some Christmas shopping.

 

When they came to pick him up, Ashley mentioned that they had an envelope at home that had the gender of the baby inside.  They had already decided NOT to find out the gender until that day!

 

We talked about it...Ashley was certain that it was a girl...Locklan had already named the baby Sally...I have been waiting for a grand daughter for a long time!

 

Of course, we wouldn't know until Baby M's arrival late April!

 

Then, a few hours later, I got this text message from Ashley...

 

 

They opened it!

 

Eeeeekkkkk!

 

It's a girl!

It's a girl!

 

It's a GIRL!

 

 

 

It was amazing...

December 1, 2017

 

Tony and Mindy became Mr. and Mrs...

 

 

It was a beautiful wedding!

 

I'll fill in the details soon...

 

We just got back from the cruise last night and I'm trying to play catch up!

 

More.Soon.Promise!

Every Year/Today's the day!

Every year, about this time we get a box delivered to our house.

 

It looks like this...

 

No, this is the box from 2014...looks much the same as 2015 and 2016...

 

It's a Christmas gift from Mr K's patent attorney!

 

In 2014, it looked like this...

 

 

I didn't bother to photograph 2015.

 

Last year, I swore off sugar (and tons of other junky foods).

 

It came, I saw and I DID NOT taste it at all.

 

Didn't really bother me, nor did the huge bag of Swedish Fish that Mr K got me for Christmas...

 

This year, Locklan and I were home alone when the FedEx man came...

 

I knew what it was and was not going to open it but he insisted!

 

Inside the box that looked much like this...

 

 

was this!!!

 

 

 

 

There were assorted chocolates,

truffles,

chocolate covered pretzels...

 

and a big slab of chocolate with the name of the firm on it!

 

Finally...we got our chocolate box and I used it!

 

 

or rather, Locklan used it...

For a (reading) bed!

 

~sigh~

 

No sugar for me since December 14, 2017

 

Today makes it 353 days!

 

Now, on the other hand...today's the big day...

 

 

 

Tony and Mindy's wedding day!

 

I'm so excited!

 

Stay tuned for the details!

 

 

 

Oh my!

I got these photos from Andy and Ashley the other day...

 

They were at the tree farm...

 

The same Christmas Tree farm Mark and I always took the boys to when they were young!

 

 

 

 

Other than the fact that Andy used a chain saw,

it was so much the same!

 

 

 

When I saw this photo of the tree on the back of Ashley's jeep I did say oh-oh...

 

 

But Andy's spatial perception has always been good...

(not like his mother who once got a school bus stuck on a

 bridge that was at the bottom of a steep hill )

 

So I was shocked when he sent me this photo...

 

and told me that this was taken AFTER he cut 12" off!

 

 

Oh well!?!

'Tis the season!

 

Getting there!  Locklan is getting excited and so am I!

 

Baby Mango?

Ashley recently posted this on Facebook:

 

 

Amazing to think that in 19 or so weeks, this mango-sized bundle of joy

will become a full size pooping machine!

 

I remember when I was expecting Andy...

The first time I checked the book said:

 

Your baby is the size of a lima bean and has lips.

 

From that moment until we met him face to face

we referred to him as Beanie!

 

~giggle~

 

I'm getting so excited!

 

It figures!

I'm up and at it early...

 

It's still (as Locklan says) darking  outside...

 

It's Monday, the wedding is Friday...

 

And I am sick!

 

I have a wicked sore throat, runny nose, everything hurts...

 

Oh well, it's not about me, it's about Tony and Mindy.

 

While Mindy, her mother and aunt were out doing girly pampering things (like massages and pedicures)  yesterday,

 

Tony came to do guy things (like watch football and talk sports stats) with Ron...

 

Tony was sick!

 

Go figure!

 

On a brighter note...

 

This...

 

is what's trying to lure me back into bed this morning!

 

Mom and dad worked the earliest shit this morning, so he came to spend the night!

 

After his bath, when he was all warm and cuddly,

we jumped into grandma's bed to get under the "awesome" blanket and read.

 

That was at 9.  When I woke again at 3AM, I decided to break all rules

 and just cuddle for the rest of the night!

 

~sigh~

 

Life is good!

 

 

 

Leaf Me Alone!

We don't have a tree in our backyard...

 

The neighbors around us have many.

 

Our back yard is fenced in...

 

Can you say Leaf Collection Site?

 

Seriously...it's all good...

 

The leaves collect in the back yard and on our patio

but having a son in the lawn care business makes it all okay!

 

The other day, Andy and his sidekick, Locklan came over to do the second leaf-sweep of the season...

 

 

Andy did the grunt work and Locklan supervised

and handled the heavy equipment!

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't he a hoot?!?

 

Andy would get a shovel full of leaves and Locklan would blow them off.

 

 

Andy's back pack leaf blower is much too heavy for Locklan to move...

 

 

It didn't seem to bother him!

Andy is so patient.

 

And...

 

Last week, Andy, Ashley, Locklan,

Mr K, Tony and Mindy went out to dinner

and on to watch my nephew, Tyler's hockey game.

 

Remember this historic game from a few years ago?

Miracle on Ice!

 

Tony has retired, but Tyler is still playing!

 

Locklan enjoyed working the crowd more than the enjoyed the hockey game...

 

 

But we had a great time!

 

Now for the 'no photo' section...

 

Last night Andy, Tony, Mindy, Locklan, Mr K and I headed down to my mom's for a pizza

party.  There we met Michael and Catherine and my cousin Mark and his wife Anne who were in from Chicago.

 

I love getting together with my family!

 

Now, it's time to get dressed for church.

 

God is good, ALL of the time!

 

 

 

 

 

This is how it's done...

Occasionally, when they are easy on time,

Andy and Locklan will stop on their way to my house in the morning...

 

For Donuts, of course...

 

The donut of choice is one with sprinkles...

 

 

I did not take this photo.  Photo credit goes to

https://www.howsweeteats.com/2015/06/strawberry-buttermilk-sprinkle-donuts/

 

Locklan LOVES sprinkles...

 

This is how donuts with sprinkles should be eaten...

 

 

Photo credit goes to https://www.redsockmama.com

 

Yes, I took this photo, just after Locklan said they are done!

 
Gotta love him!

 

He's such a blessing in my life!